Morse potential
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The Morse potential, named after physicist Philip M. Morse, is a convenient model for the potential energy of a diatomic molecule. It is of the form
- <math>V(r) = D_e ( 1-e^{-a(r-r_e)} )^2<math>.
Here <math>r<math> is the distance between the atoms, <math>r_e<math> is the equilibrium bond distance, <math>D_e<math> is the 'depth' of the potential energy function (the difference in energy between <math>V(r_e)<math> and at infinite separation), and <math>a<math> controls the 'width' of the potential.
Reference
- P. M. Morse, Diatomic molecules according to the wave mechanics. II. Vibrational levels. Phys. Rev. 1929, 34, 57.